The development of schools of accounting and the underlying issues

This paper traces the development of schools of accounting in the United States and examines the arguments for and against the establishment of separate schools of accounting. In tracing the development of schools of accounting, it becomes evident that the call for this concept is as old as the profession itself in the United States, and the underlying rationale still remains the same. From the very beginning, the concept of separate professional schools was supported for two fundamental reasons: (1) to improve the educational background and competency of accountants to better serve society, and (2) to provide visibility and a sense of identity to the profession. Proponents of separate schools of accounting contend that students would develop a better sense of professional identity and, in turn, achieve a greater degree of familiarity with professional ethics and morality. The primary opponents of the idea of establishing separate schools of accounting include university administrators, deans, and some faculty in business schools. From the viewpoint of university officials, establishment of separate schools of accounting may imply additional budgetary demands, the problem of allocating limited resources and the burden of creating an additional administrative unit. Opposition to the establishment of separate schools of accounting also comes from those who believe that attempting to segregate accounting from other business areas is artificial, and could result in an expensive redundancy in courses.